Implantable fluid management system for the removal of excess fluid

ABSTRACT

An implantable fluid management device, designed to drain excess fluid from a variety of locations in a living host into a second location within the host, such as the bladder of that host. The device may be used to treat ascites, chronic pericardial effusions, normopressure hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus, pulmonary edema, or any fluid collection within the body of a human, or a non-human mammal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/826,237, filed Apr. 17, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,790, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/700,863, filed Nov.3, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,690, which claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/496,441, filedAug. 21, 2003 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/369,550, filed Feb. 21, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,335,179,which claims the benefits of priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/389,346, filed on Jun. 18, 2002, and to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/359,287, filed on Feb. 25, 2002,the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally in the field of medical devices. Moreparticularly, it relates to implantable pump-assisted drainage devices,e.g., for transvesicluar drainage, capable of draining fluid from abodily cavity into another bodily cavity, such as a bladder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a variety of conditions which result in pathologic chroniccollection of bodily fluids within the body of a person. Chronicpericardial effusions, normopressure hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus,chronic pulmonary effusion, pulmonary edema, and ascites are but a fewof the conditions in which chronic fluid collections persist and resultin increased morbidity and mortality.

These types of conditions currently are treated typically by one ofthree methods: 1) external drainage with a high-risk of infection andlong-term requirement for multiple punctures, 2) drainage to anotherbody cavity, or 3) treatment with various drugs. For pericardialeffusions and hydrocephalus of all types, the treatment of choice istypically drainage to another region of the body. For pericardialeffusions this entails a pericardial window, a highly invasive procedurein which a large section of the external heart cavity is removed. Forhydrocephalus, the treatment typically involves the use of aventriculo-peritoneal shunt draining the cerebrospinal fluid into theperitoneal cavity. This device frequently becomes clogged due to theproteinaceous environment of the peritoneal cavity and requires removalor revision.

One problem which may arise with the chronic collection of bodily fluidsis ascites, which is a highly debilitating complication associated withmany medical conditions including liver failure and congestive heartfailure. Untreated ascites can result in respiratory compromise,compression of the inferior vena cava (a vital blood vessel) andspontaneous bacterial peritonitis (a life-threatening condition). Inorder to treat chronic ascites, medicine has turned to both drugs andsurgery.

The drugs required to treat ascites are typically long-term andfrequently result in complications. The most common pharmaceuticaltreatment of ascites involves the use of diuretics to remove fluid fromthe patient's body through their urine. The difficulty with thistreatment, though, is that fluid is removed from the entire body,including the circulating volume of blood, and can result in excessiveloss of fluid required to perfuse the vital organs of the human body.Thus, even with frequent application, the medicines frequently fail. Insuch cases, surgical, or invasive; procedures are indicated.

Currently the most common surgical treatment is paracentesis. Inparacentesis, the peritoneal fluid is drained through the abdominal wallvia the insertion of a needle through the abdominal wall into theperitoneal cavity. This procedure is only a temporary solution as theascites quickly refills the peritoneal cavity in most chronicconditions. Furthermore, repeated paracenteses places the patient atincreased risk for a life-threatening infection of their peritonealcavity. Other surgical/invasive procedures typically involve treatmentof the cause of the ascites (for example, the Transjugular IntrahepaticPortosystemic Shunt) but these measures also frequently result incomplications, which are often serious and are thus performedinfrequently.

Many of the existing commercially available devices provide littleimprovement over the intermittent punctures of paracentesis and resultin increased rates of infection or other complications if left in placefor any length of time. Therefore, there is a need for a device whicheffectively reduces the need for repeated punctures or abdominalincisions and thereby reduces the risk of serious infection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An implantable fluid management system, as described herein, maytypically comprise a first tube member having a first end, a second end,and a length which defines a lumen therethrough and having at least oneopening at the first end or along the length, a second tube memberhaving a first end, a second end, and a length which defines a lumentherethrough, a pump fluidly coupled to the first tube member and thesecond tube member for urging fluid through each tube member, and ashunt connected to the second end of the second tube member, wherein theshunt is adapted to anchor the second end of the second tube member to awall of a hollow body organ in a fluid-tight seal.

This system may avoid difficulties typically associated with the currenttherapies. For instance, in the treatment of chronic ascites, thedevices of the system may allow for the removal of peritoneal fluidwithout 1) serious complications generally associated with use ofpharmaceuticals, 2) inconvenience, for example, the substantial costsand the increased risk of infection associated with frequentparacenteses, or 3) multiple severe complications associated with moreinvasive and risky surgical operations to treat the cause of ascites.The implantable fluid management system may be utilized for chronicexcess fluid drainage from one bodily cavity to a second bodily cavity,e.g., a urinary bladder. An implantable electromechanically poweredand/or magnetically coupled vesicular pump may be utilized to permitassisted flow of the excess fluid collections into the bladder. Thisflow may be directed to be uni-directional through the system.

One particular variation of the system may be used as an ascitesdrainage device. For instance, the device of the system may be used forperitoneovesicular drainage of the peritoneal fluid from the peritonealcavity into, e.g., the bladder. The drainage of the fluid may beuni-directional through the system. To urge the fluid through the fluidmanagement system, a pump which is fully implantable may be utilizedwith the system to transfer excess fluid from a variety of locations inthe human body, for instance, the peritoneal cavity, to another regionwithin the body, for instance, the urinary bladder, for the treatment ofchronic fluid collections.

The system, including the pump and/or tubular members, may be configuredto enable fluid flow in only one direction into, e.g., the bladder, toprevent the reflux of urine or other fluids into the area being drainedwhile still allowing the drainage of the fluid into the bladder. Thisuni-directional configuration may be achieved through incorporation of auni-directional valve in the lumen of the tubing or through the use of auni-directional pump which may also be prevented from being driven inreverse.

The device may include at least two distinct flexible tubular memberseach defining at least one lumen therethrough. One tubular member may beused for drawing fluid from the region to be drained into or through thepump while the other tube may be used for channeling the fluid from thepump into the hollow body organ such as the bladder. The tube fordrawing the excess fluid from the body cavity may contain or define atleast one opening, and may preferably define multiple perforations,and/or anti-clogging mechanisms in the region of the fluid intake. Thistubular member may also optionally incorporate chemical- orpressure-sensing elements to trigger and/or prevent activation of thepump under specific circumstances. The tubular member carrying thepumped fluid to the bladder may feature an anchoring mechanism such as ashunt mentioned above (e.g., a flange, pigtail coil, etc.) and mayoptionally be coated with a hydrophilic material to preventencrustation. The tip of this tubing may also optionally incorporatechemical- or pressure-sensing elements to trigger and/or preventactivation of the pump under specific circumstances ensuring that thepump does not generate excessive bladder pressures. These sensors can beplaced anywhere along the length of either tube, including the extremesof a position at the site of pump attachment and a position at the tipof the tubing. Optionally, the two tubes can be integrated together intoa single tubular member having two distinct lumens for ease ofinsertion.

The shunt for anchoring to the bladder wall may, in one variation,comprise a hollow, cylindrical column with flanges at either or bothends to provide secure anchorage in the bladder wall. The shunt may havean integrated mechanism to ensure uni-directional flow of fluid whilepreventing reflux of urine and other fluids back through the shunt. Onevariation of the shunt may provide a passive ball-valve mechanism whichallows for drainage of fluid into the bladder whenever a certain minimumthreshold pressure is achieved at the collection site. Another variationmay provide an active valve mechanism which allows for controlleddrainage of fluid into the bladder whenever the valve is actuated.

The system can be made available in multiple configurations and designsfor varying types and severity of fluid collections. For drainage ofexcess cerebrospinal fluid, for example, the tubing connecting the pumpto the ventricle of the brain may be fabricated to be significantlylonger than the tubing for chronic ascites which need only reach anadjacent peritoneal cavity.

The methods of insertion of the fluid management system may be based, inpart, on the location of the fluid collection. On the other hand, thetubular member spanning to the bladder wall may be placed, e.g.,cystoscopically or transabdominally, using minimally invasiveprocedures. The pump may be placed subcutaneously using interventionalradiology techniques including radiographic imaging such as ultrasound.The inflow tubing connected to the pump, in one variation, may betunneled subcutaneously to the site of drainage and the outflow tubingcan be subcutaneously channeled to the bladder. Alternatively, the pumpcan be placed in the peritoneal cavity, or other bodily cavity, andactivated remotely or set to operate independently based on pressuresignals sensed from the fluid. In this variation, the pump may betethered to an inductive charging coil for recharging or, if a batterywith sufficient life is used, may carry its own independent powersupply.

The system may also optionally include controls to limit the operationof the pump and provide feedback to ensure that the pump is operatingcorrectly. Thus the total fluid flow can be monitored and tightlycontrolled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a variation of a shunt device.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an implanted shunt.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the implanted shunt when theperitoneal fluid pressure is insufficient to open the valve.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view in an illustration of an example ofan insertion device within which the shunt can be implanted in thebladder wall.

FIGS. 5A to 5C show alternative variations of the fluid managementsystem with differing valve types, differing valve positioning anddiffering number of valves.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show cross-sectional illustrations of an alternativevariation of the system and a detail view of the shunt, respectively, inwhich an active, externally, or internally controlled valve is utilized.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional illustration of an alternative variationof the drainage system in which a pump may be included along the lengthof the tubing.

FIGS. 8A to 8C show illustrations of a few of the alternative variationsof the drainage system in which the peritoneal cavity, the pulmonaryspace, and the ventricular space are able to be drained.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative magnetically-coupled variation of thedrainage system with an illustration of an externally located drive.

FIGS. 10A to 10C show a variation of the drainage system in which thetubes and pump may be removably attachable allowing for increased easeof insertion.

FIG. 11A show, s an implantable pump variation having removablyattachable tubing in the attached position.

FIG. 11B shows a variation on an implantable pump which may have itsmoment forces generated by the pump balanced.

FIG. 12A shows a variation of the drainage system having a singledual-lumen tube.

FIGS. 12B to 12G show additional variations of the single dual-lumentube.

FIG. 13 shows a magnetically-coupled variation of the pump and externaldrive in which the magnetic interaction is circumferential.

FIG. 14 shows an illustration of an electromechanical variation of thesystem in which the implanted pump may be rechargeable.

FIG. 15 shows an illustration of an electromechanical variation of thedevice in which the implanted pump may be placed in a non-subcutaneousposition.

FIGS. 16A to 16C show illustration of a few of the possible uses of thedrainage system in the drainage of chronic fluid collections in variousregions of the body.

FIG. 17 shows a variation of the drainage system which may be fluidlycoupled to the vascular system.

FIG. 18 shows another variation of the drainage system which may becoupled to a stomach or another portion of the gastro-intestinal system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The implantable fluid management system may comprise devices forfacilitating the removal of fluid from a body region where drainage isdesired. For instance, the devices disclosed herein may be utilized forchronic excess fluid drainage from one bodily cavity to a second bodilycavity, e.g., a urinary bladder. An implantable electromechanicallypowered and/or magnetically coupled vesicular pump may be utilized topermit assisted flow of the excess fluid collections into the bladder.This flow may be directed to be unidirectional through the system.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a vesicular shunt or drain 1 may be utilizedwith the fluid management system for anchoring a tubing member to thewall of a urinary bladder. A further detailed description of the shuntand its applications may be seen in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/369,550filed on Feb. 21, 2003, which has been incorporated herein by referenceabove. Shunt or drain 1 may be implanted in the bladder wall 9, as shownin FIG. 2, and can be configured to provide for unidirectional drainageof fluid into the bladder. In one variation, the shunt or drain 1 maycomprise a flange or projection 2, 3 at each end of the shunt 1 tofacilitate firmly anchoring the shunt 1 across the bladder wall 9.Alternative variations of the shunt 1 may utilize other anchoringmechanisms, including, but not limited to, screw threading on theoutside of shunt 1, staples, sutures, adhesive compounds, one or morebarbs, etc., and combinations thereof.

In one variation, the shunt 1 may be configured to define a lumenthrough the shaft of the device with a valving mechanism positionedwithin this lumen. For instance, a ball-valve 4 may be positioned toobstruct an inflow opening of the lumen. A biasing element such as aspring 5 may be configured to provide a closing pressure against theball-valve 4 such that the lumen remains shut until a minimum thresholdpressure is developed by the fluid which may force the ball-valve 4 openor until a pump is actuated to open the valve 4. The inflow port of theshunt 1 may optionally include a porous mesh or filter 6 to allow forthe free flow of fluid through shunt 1 while preventing theincarceration of tissues at the drainage site. Moreover, the mesh orfilter 6 may be configured to filter the fluid through a polymer tosequester components which may be present within the fluid, such asalbumin and other proteins, while allowing the flow of fluids and ionsacross the semi-permeable membrane.

As can be seen in the variation of FIG. 2, once a pressure of thecollected peritoneal fluid 19 has built up, in this case within theperitoneal cavity 7, and exceeds the combined threshold force of thespring 5 and a pressure of the fluid-filled bladder cavity 8, theperitoneal fluid 19 may urge the ball-valve 4 open to then allow fluidflow into the bladder 8. Once the peritoneal fluid 19 has entered thebladder, the peritoneal fluid 19 may mix with the urine 20 and any otherfluids which may be present. Once a sufficient amount of fluid 19 haspassed through shunt 1 and the fluid pressure within the peritonealcavity 7 falls below the threshold pressure of the spring 5, theball-valve 4 may be urged shut to prevent further fluid flow through theshunt 1. The spring force exerted by the biasing element to shut thevalve 4 within the shunt 1 may be varied depending upon the amount offluid flow desired.

If the combined pressure from the fluid pressure within the bladder 8and the closing force of the spring 5 is greater than the pressureexerted by the collected fluid within the peritoneal cavity 7, then thevalve 4 will remain closed preventing reflux of urine and other fluidsback into the peritoneal cavity 7, as depicted in FIG. 3.

The shunt 1 may be designed to be deployed transurethrally ortransabdominally via an insertion device 10, such as that depicted inthe variation of FIG. 4. Various devices such as endoscopes, catheters,introducers, etc., may also be utilized as an insertion device 10depending upon the patient anatomy and the location where the shunt 1 isto be placed. A specially configured insertion device 10 may define acavity or channel within which the shunt 1 may be positioned fordeployment within a patient. The variation shown in the figure mayincorporate flexible flanges 2, 3 on one or both ends of the shunt 1.During delivery, one or both flanges 2, 3 may be configured in a lowprofile configuration and after delivery, one or both flanges 2, 3 maybe configured to self-expand or reconfigure into a larger configuration.Accordingly, flanges 2, 3 may optionally be fabricated from springsteels, shape memory alloys and superelastic alloys such as nitinol,etc. Once the distal end of insertion device 10 has been brought intoproximity or adjacent to the region of tissue where shunt 1 is to beinserted, the shunt 1 may be urged out of insertion device 10 via apusher or plunger, as shown in the figure. Alternatively, shunt 1 may bepositioned upon the distal end of an insertion device and released intothe tissue wall via a release mechanism.

A tubing member 11 may be attached to the inflow port of shunt 1. Thistubing member 11 may be made such that it is sufficiently long enough toreach the region within the body where excess fluid collects. As shownin the illustrative drawings in FIGS. 5A to 5C, tubing member 11 mayhave a perforated receptacle 12, as described in further detail below,through which the collected fluid may drain into the tubing 11. Othermethods for fluid transport may include, but are not limited to,conduits, catheters, saphenous arteries or vessels, artificial tubulargrafts, etc.

In addition to the shunt 1 having a ball valve 4 in combination with thetubing member 11, other variations may utilize one or more valves of avariety of different types. For instance, passively-actuated valves,i.e., valves which are configured to automatically open and closewithout being actively actuated, such as the ball-valve 4 shown in FIG.5A and flapper valve 13 as shown in FIG. 5B. The flapper type valve 13may be positioned within shunt 1 near the outflow port, as shown in FIG.5B, or it may also be positioned closer to the inflow port, as shown inFIG. 5C. An additional optional valve 14 may be incorporated into thetubing member 11 anywhere along the length of tubing 11. The types ofvalves disclosed are intended to be illustrative and is not intended tobe limiting. Other variations of the valves are intended to be withinthe scope of this disclosure.

Alternatively, active valves, i.e., valves which may be configured toopen and close via an actuation or sensing element, may also be utilizedwith the fluid management system. The use of active valves may beutilized for maintaining a tighter control of fluid drainage. Forinstance, FIG. 6A shows one variation of an active valve 15 positionedwithin the lumen of shunt 1 in combination with the tubular member 11.FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional side view of the shunt 1 alone havingthe active valve 15 positioned within. Active valve 15 may be actuatablevia a remotely located controller to open and shut upon receiving asignal. Alternatively, sensors positioned within the shunt 1 or withinthe tubing 11 may provide a signal to the active valve 15 to open orshut according to the signal.

In another variation, an electronic valve may be configured to becometriggered via communication across the tissues of the human body throughelectromagnetic signals such as radio frequency, microwave, or otherelectromagnetic frequencies. Alternatively, pressure (patient-applied orotherwise) mechanical, magnetic, or other methods of communication maybe utilized to signal allowing for drainage only at selected times. Thevalve of the device can take many shapes and the device can bemanufactured from any of a variety of materials provided that they arebiocompatible.

The fluid management system may also be configured to incorporate a pump16, as shown in FIG. 7. Pump 16, when placed subcutaneously, can beactuated to provide an active pumping mechanism with or without the useof passive or active valves, as described in further detail below. Pump16 may be configured as a unidirectional pump to facilitate fluidtransfer in a single direction. This unidirectional pump feature may beutilized in place of the valve or in combination with the valves.

The patient may optionally perform maneuvers to help increase thepressure of any fluid which may be contained within the body cavity. Forinstance, the patient may bear down to increase intra-abdominal pressureto facilitate drainage of the peritoneal cavity. Alternatively, thepatient may also wear or apply a girdle designed to increase abdominalpressure or apply a urethral catheter to decrease bladder pressure.

The fluid management system may be configured to drain fluid collectionsfrom a variety of different regions within the body. For example, whilethe shunt 1 may be anchored within the bladder wall, the receptacle 12may be placed, as described above, within the peritoneal cavity as shownin FIG. 8A. Another example is shown in FIG. 8B where the receptacle 17may be positioned within the pulmonary space for draining pulmonaryeffusions and FIG. 8C shows an example where the receptacle 18 may bepositioned within the cerebrospinal region for draining excesscerbrospinal fluid. In another variation, a receptacle may be positionedwithin the pericardial region for draining pericardial effusions.

In yet another variation, the shunt, pump, or tubular devices mayincorporate one or several anti-infective agents to inhibit the spreadof infection between body cavities. Examples of anti-infective agentswhich may be utilized may include, e.g., bacteriostatic materials,bacteriocidal materials, one or more antibiotic dispensers, antibioticeluting materials, entrained radioisotopes, heating elements, bioactiveplastics, surfaces which encourage epithelialization, and coatings whichprevent bacterial adhesion, and combinations thereof.

Additionally, the devices may also incorporate anti-clogging agents.Examples of anti-clogging agents may include, e.g., active ultrasoniccomponents, an inner and outer sleeve which, when actively agitatedthrough coupling to the pump drive or through a flow driven mechanism,disrupts the inner lumen surfaces which encourage epithelialization,enzyme eluting materials, enzyme eluting materials which specificallytarget the proteinaceous components of ascites, enzyme eluting materialswhich specifically target the proteinaceous and encrustation promotingcomponents of urine, chemical eluting surfaces, an intermittent plungermechanism, coatings which prevent adhesion of proteinaceous compounds,and combinations thereof. The anti-infective and/or anti-clogging agentsmay be infused through the devices via a reservoir contained, forinstance, in the pump or in a separate reservoir. Alternatively, theagents may be integrated within or coated upon the surfaces of thevarious components of the system.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative detail view of another variation of thesystem of FIG. 7 above. As shown, fluid may be drawn up and carried awayby the uptake tube 107, which in this case, has been perforated toprevent blockage. Alternate variations may include an uptake screen atthe terminus of the uptake tubing member 107. Although multipleperforations or openings are shown in tubing member 107, a singleopening may also be defined at the terminal end of the tubing 107 oralong the length of the tubing 107. As mentioned above, the uptaketubing 107 may also include, but is not limited to, conduits, catheters,saphenous arteries or vessels, artificial tubular grafts, etc. Thetubing 107 may be positioned where the excess fluid typically collectswithin the cavity. Tubing 107 may simply be left within the cavity or itmay be anchored to a tissue wall via any number of methods for fasteningthe tubing 107, e.g., sutures, staples, clamps, adhesives, etc.

The uptake tubing 107 leads to the pump 101, which may be used toactively pump or urge the fluid from the uptake tubing 107 and throughthe outflow tube 108 and into the bladder 110. In this variation, anoptional bladder anchor or shunt 109 may be utilized to secure thedistal end or portion of outflow tube 108 and prevent detachment oftubing 108 during bladder contraction. The bladder anchor or shunt 109may be configured in any one of the variations as described above forthe shunt 1.

The pump 101, can be powered and operated by electromechanical forces ormagnetic coupling. The pump 101 may be placed under the skin 111 ineither the subcutaneous space 112 or in the musculature of the abdominalwall 113. The pump 101 may be configured as a peristaltic pump, but mayalso be a gear-pump, turbine-pump, impeller-pump, radial-flow-pump,centrifugal-pump, piston-pump, or any other suitable pump type. Ideally,the pump 101 design ensures uni-directional operation. Moreover, thepump 101 may be configured to incorporate a pulsatile or oscillatingmechanism within the pump 101 to aid in jarring free any materials fromcollecting or becoming encrusted to thereby prevent the pump 101 ortubing from clogging. However, valves may be configured to ensureunidirectional operation. The pump 101 is preferably enclosed in ahousing, shroud or casing 125 made of any suitable biocompatiblematerial.

Also enclosed in the pump housing 125, in this particular variation, isthe magnetically-coupled drive. One, two, or more magnets 103 may beprovided to operate the pump 101. A separate control module 116 which isremotely located from the implanted pump 101 may be used to driveexternal magnets 105 located within the drive unit 102 or magnets 105may be used to provide an oscillating or alternating electromagneticfield to correspondingly couple through the skin 111 with a magneticfield of the implanted magnets 103 located within the pump 101. Byrotating or oscillating the magnets 105 in the drive unit 102, theimplanted magnets 103 are stimulated or urged to move, therebytransferring their kinetic force to operate the pump 101. While FIG. 9shows a drive unit 102 with a motor and a linkage, any magnetic fieldcapable of causing or urging the pump magnets 103 to rotate could beused to operate the pump. Furthermore, in order to reduce the torqueseen by tissues adjacent to the implanted pump, the pump may utilize agear mechanism whereby the external drive rotates or oscillates twoelements in opposite direction thereby canceling any torques generated.Alternatively, the pump 101 could be electromechanically powered throughan implanted battery with external activating and/or monitoring withoutthe requirement for magnetic coupling in which case drive unit 102 maybe configured to function as a remote switch for activating the pump101. One or more sensors may be integrated into the implanted pump 103for detecting a variety of fluid and/or pump parameters. For instance,FIG. 9 shows at least one sensor 104 integrated within implanted pump101. A corresponding sensor 106 may be built into the interface of theexternal drive 102. Both sensors 104 and 106 may be positioned withintheir respective units such that when the drive 102 is optimally alignedwith implanted pump 101, the sensors 104, 106 may indicate to thephysician or patient that the pump 101 and drive 102 are optimallyengaged and able to efficiently transfer power and/or information. Thedrive 102 or some other indicator may be used to convey the presence ofan optimal engagement to the physician or patient through a variety ofmethods, for instance, a visual message or indicator signal such as alight or audible signal may be initiated once the sensors 104, 106 havebeen aligned. These sensors 104, 106 may also transfer information fromthe pump 101 to the drive 102, and/or from the drive 102 to the pump101, during operation to monitor fluid pressures and/or fluid flows.Alternatively, additional magnets could also be utilized to anchor thepump 101 to the drive 102 against rotational forces generated during thepower transfer operation.

The individual implantable components of the system are shown in detailin FIGS. 10A to 10C. In FIG. 10A, the outflow tubing 108 is shown in onevariation in its insertion trocar 117. Also illustrated are the bladderanchor 109 and an optional removably attachable port 118 which may bedesigned to couple with an insertion port 120 on the pump 101. FIG. 10Billustrates one variation of the inflow drainage tubing 107 in aninsertion trocar 117 with an optional removably attachable port 119.Although these variations show the tubing 107, 108 positioned withininsertion trocars 117 for deployment within a patient, the tubing 107,108 may be implanted through various other methods as may becontemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 10C illustrates one variation of the implantable pump 101 withtubing detached. The pump 101 is illustrated with anchors 121 to resistrotational forces generated with pump use. The pump housing 125 may beanchored by barbed insertion pins 121 and/or materials designed topromote fibrotic ingrowth for anchoring the pump 101 within the muscle113 or subcutaneous space 112. Alternative variations of the pump device101 may use other anchoring mechanisms, e.g., screw threading defined onoutside surfaces of pump 101, staples, sutures, adhesive compounds, aporous solid promoting interstitial cell growth, one or more pinsdesigned to be inserted into the abdominal wall, etc., and combinationsthereof. In the variation shown, the tubing 107, 108 and pump 101 areseparate components and may placed individually. For instance, the twotubes 107, 108 may be first inserted through a single incision in theskin and placed in their approximate positions within the patient. Thepump 101 may then be inserted through the incision and attached to bothtubes 107, 108 and secured at the implantation site. Alternatively, thetubing 107, 108 may be attached to the pump 101 prior to implantation orduring manufacture and the entire system may be implanted as a singlesystem.

FIG. 11A illustrates the pump 101 and tubing 107, 108 of FIGS. 10A to10C in which the tubing 107, 108 has been attached to the correspondingoutflow and inflow ports of pump 101 at the junctures of tubing port 118to pump 120 and tubing port 119 to pump 120. Also shown are optionalsensors 122, 124 on the ends of the inflow tubing 107 and outflow tubing108, respectively. One or both of these sensors 122, 124 may beconfigured to sense any one of a number of fluid parameters. Forinstance, one or both sensors 122, 124 may detect fluid pressures and/orvarious chemical parameters such as pH of the fluid, or the presence ofcertain chemicals, etc. One or both sensors 122, 124 may also beconfigured to provide positive and/or negative feedback to the controlmechanism, such as the externally located drive unit 102 or anintegrated controller located within the pump 101, in the control offluid flows. Although both sensors 122, 124 are shown located at theterminal ends of tubing 107, 108, respectively, they may optionally belocated anywhere along the lengths of their respective tubes 107, 108,if desired or necessary.

FIG. 11B shows a cross-sectional view of another variation of pump 101which may be utilized to effectively eliminate any excessive movementwhich may be imparted by torquing forces generated by the pump 101.After pump 101 has been implanted within a patient, it is generallydesirable to inhibit movement of the pump 101 within the body. This maybe accomplished through a variety of methods, such as securely anchoringthe pump 101 to the surrounding tissue. This pump variation may also beconfigured to reduce any torque which may be seen by tissues adjacent tothe implanted pump 101. This may be accomplished, in part, by utilizingat least two counter-rotating or counter-oscillating elements within thepump 101 which may rotate or oscillate during pumping such thatoppositely generated moments or rotational moments effectively cancelout or balance each other. As seen in this variation, if a driver unit,such as that described above, were activated to rotate element 138 in afirst direction, a first rotational moment 141 is generated. This moment141, if unbalanced, may impart forces from the pump 101 to thesurrounding tissue potentially resulting in damage to the tissue.Element 138 may be rotationally coupled to a gear box 140 which may beconfigured to reverse the imparted direction of rotation such thatelement 139, which is also rotationally coupled to gear box 140, iscompelled to rotate in an opposite direction from element 138 thuscreating a rotational moment 142. The opposite rotational moments 141,142 may effectively balance or cancel one another such that the netforce imparted by the pump 101 to the surrounding tissue is minimized,potentially to a zero load. The counter-rotating or counter-oscillating(depending upon the type of pump utilized) elements within a pump may bebalanced in mass and in configuration in any number of ways to optimizethe resulting effect on the pump, depending upon the desired effects.

FIG. 12A illustrates one variation of the fluid management system inwhich both inflow 107 and outflow 108 tubing share a common wall. Thisarrangement may be utilized ideally for the peritoneal fluid drainingdesign because the bladder 110 and peritoneal cavity 115 share a commonwall which facilitates the insertion of a single dual-lumen tube. Alsoshown is flange 123 which can be utilized to prevent insertion of theinflow tubing 107 into the bladder 110 in the case of thesingle-puncture placement. Moreover, any one of the shunt 1 variationsdescribed above may be utilized with this variation.

FIGS. 12B and 12C show cross-sectional side and end views, respectively,of the tubing variation of FIG. 12A. As shown, inflow tubing 107 andoutflow tubing 108 may share common wall 133, which may be reinforced tomaintain the structural integrity of the tubing. The inflow tubing 107may define one or a plurality of openings 134 for drawing the fluidwithin tubing 107. Openings 134 may be defined along just a portion oftubing 107 or it may be defined along a majority of the length of tubing107 depending upon the desired application. In operation, the fluidwithin the body cavity may be drawn into tubing 107 through openings 134and drawn into pump 103. The fluid may then be passed through outflowtubing 108 in the opposite direction as the fluid flowing through inflowtubing 107 and subsequently into the bladder 110. FIGS. 12D and 12E showanother variation of tubing 107′ and 108′ in which both tubes are formedfrom a single extrusion 135. In this variation, tubing 107′ may defineone or a plurality of openings 134. FIGS. 12F and 12G showcross-sectional side and end views of yet another variation of asingle-tube dual-lumen variation in which outflow tubing 108″ may becoaxially positioned within inflow tubing 107″. In this variation,openings 134 may be defined along a length of inflow tubing 107″ whileoutflow tubing 108″ may remain intact.

Both inflow and outflow tubing, or just one of the tubes, may bereinforced along a portion of its length of along its entire length.Reinforcement of the tubing may be accomplished via ribbon or wirebraiding or lengths of wire or ribbon embedded or integrated within oralong the tubing. The braiding or wire may be fabricated from metalssuch as stainless steels, superelastic metals such as nitinol, or from avariety of suitable polymers.

FIG. 13 illustrates one variation of the pump device in which themagnetic coupling mechanism employed allows for circumferentialinteraction. As shown, the pump 101 may be implanted under the skin 111yet close to the surface such that the pump magnets 103 may bepositioned within the inner diameter of, and/or in the same plane as,the external drive magnets 105. The arms 127 of the drive unit mayprotrude to define a circumferential cavity for receiving the implantedpump 101 and the overlying skin 111 within this channel. The design ofthe holding arms 127 may be blunted to prevent excessive pressure frombeing exerted upon the skin 111 over the site of insertion. In thisvariation, the driveshaft 126 is shown which transfers power to themagnet holding arm 127 of the drive. This design can also employ one orseveral pump anchors 121, sensors 104, 106 and/or other features andcombinations of the pump and tubing.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate non-magnetically powered pumps in which theimplanted pump may be powered by a battery or other implantable powersource. In this instance the pump 101 may communicate with the externalinterface 116 using radiowave or electromagnetic signal generators andreceivers 128, 129 to transfer information and/or activation signals.This pump 101 can be placed subcutaneously (as shown in FIG. 14) or inany other region suitable for implantation (for instance, the pump 101of FIG. 15 may be implanted directly within the peritoneal cavity) solong as it can communicate with the external component 116. The pump canalso be internally controlled using the sensors 122, 124 to determinewhen to activate the pump. These variations may be configured so thatthe physician or patient may be able to intervene using the externalcontrol mechanism 116 in order to prevent the operation of the pump 101in undesirable circumstances. For example, if the sensors detectnegative feedback, the physician and/or patient may activate the pump101 using the external controls 116 at their discretion. The controls,though, may be easily programmed to incorporate various parameters suchas a maximum drainage per day and simple drainage controls such as nodrainage when the bladder exceeds a certain pressure. The pump 101 canalso be programmed to be activated under certain circumstances, e.g.,once the peritoneal pressure sensor 122 experiences a pressure above acertain threshold.

The device may be designed to drain a variety of different fluidcollections including, but not limited to, the excess fluid within theperitoneal cavity, as shown in FIG. 16A, pulmonary effusions, as shownin FIG. 16B, and excessive cerebrospinal fluid, as shown in FIG. 16C.These figures show the bladder anchor 109, the outflow tube 108, thepump 101, the inflow tube 107, and the drainage ports for the peritoneal130, pleural 131 and cerebrospinal 132 drainage sites, although othervariations utilizing different features, such as the single tube,dual-lumen tubing described above may be substituted in furthervariations. Moreover, drainage from other regions of the body using thesystem and variations thereof are contemplated, such as application fordrainage of pericardial effusions. It is important to note that anyfeature of the present invention can be incorporated into any thesedesigns.

The housing, shroud or casing 125 of the pump can take many shapes andthe pump housing 125 can be manufactured from any of a variety ofbiocompatible materials. Alternatively, the pump housing 125 mayincorporate anti-infective components or agents in order to prevent thespread of infection between the body cavities. Such anti-infectivecomponents or agents may include, e.g., bacteriostatic materials,bacteriocidal materials, one or more antibiotic dispensers, antibioticeluting materials, entrained radioisotopes, heating elements, bioactiveplastics, surfaces which encourage epithelialization, coatings whichprevent bacterial adhesion, etc., and combinations thereof.Alternatively, the device may also incorporate anti-clogging components,e.g., active ultrasonic components, surfaces which encourageepithelialization, enzyme eluting materials, chemical eluting surfaces,coatings which prevent adhesion of proteinaceous compounds, etc., andcombinations thereof.

The device has been designed to allow for minimally invasive placement,ideally through the use of non-invasive radiographic imaging tools suchas abdominal ultrasound. Placement of the fluid management system may befacilitated by filling the bladder 110 and using ultrasound to locatethis space; the outflow tubing 108 can then be placed through a smallincision and a simple puncture. The inflow tubing 107 can also be placedin a similar manner using subcutaneous tunneling of the tubing andultrasound guidance. Once the tubing has been placed, the outflow tubing107 and the inflow tubing 108 may then be attached to the pump 101 atthe insertion sites. The pump 101 may then be set into its site ofimplantation (for instance, in the subcutaneous space) after which thewound is closed and allowed to heal.

Another application for the fluid management system may be seen in FIG.17, which shows outflow tubing 108 fluidly coupled in a fluid-tight sealto the vasculature 136 of the patient. The fluid collected throughinflow tubing 107 may be urged via pump 101 through outflow tubing 108and passed into the vasculature 136 via an anastomotic connection at oneof any number of suitable locations along the vasculature. In such avariation, the outflow tubing 108 may be a saphenous vein or artery. Theanastomotic connection between tubing 108 and the vasculature ispreferably a fluid-tight seal and may be accomplished through anyvariety of methods as known to one of skill in the art.

Yet another variation is shown in FIG. 18, which shows outflow tubing108 fluidly connected to a stomach 137 of the patient. The collectedfluid may be passed into the stomach 137 through use of the shuntdescribed above or through another anastomotic connection to allow forthe absorption of any additional nutrients which may be present in theexcess fluid. The fluid urged into the stomach may then be passedthrough the gastro-intestinal system of the patient and eventuallyvoided from the body. Although this example shows fluid connection tothe stomach 137, outflow tubing 108 may alternatively be coupled toother suitable regions of the gastro-intestinal tract, such as regionsof the small and large intestinal tracts.

While the device is primarily contemplated for use in human patients,the invention will also have veterinary uses or product developmentpurposes in equine, bovine, canine, feline, and other mammalian species.

The applications of the devices and systems discussed above are notlimited to certain treatments, but may include any number of othermaladies. Modification of the above-described methods for carrying outthe invention, and variations of the mechanical aspects of the inventionthat are obvious to those of skill in the arts are intended to be withinthe scope of the claims. Moreover, various combinations of aspectsbetween examples is also contemplated and is considered to be within thescope of this disclosure.

1. An implantable fluid management system comprising: an implantablepump having an inlet, an outlet, an electromechanical motor and anintegrated controller, the implantable pump configured to be implantedsubcutaneously; a first tube coupled between a peritoneal cavity and theinlet; and a second tube coupled between the outlet and agastro-intestinal tract; wherein the integrated controller is programmedto activate the electromechanical motor to pump fluid from theperitoneal cavity to the gastro-intestinal tract at predeterminedintervals.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable pumpfurther comprises an external control module configured to beperiodically coupled to the implantable pump to transfer energy to theimplantable pump.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the predeterminedintervals are adjustable.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thegastro-intestinal tract comprises a stomach, a small intestine, and alarge intestine, wherein the second tube is coupled between the outletand the stomach, the small intestine, or the large intestine, andwherein the integrated controller is programmed to activate theelectromechanical motor to pump fluid from the peritoneal cavity to thestomach, the small intestine, or the large intestine.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the implantable pump further comprises a housing madeof a biocompatible material.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein thehousing comprises anchors selected from the group consisting of barbedinsertion pins, a screw threading defined on an outside surface of theimplantable pump, staples, sutures, adhesive compounds, a porous solidpromoting interstitial cell growth, one or more pins designed to beinserted into the abdominal wall, and combinations thereof.
 7. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a material promotingfibrotic ingrowth into the housing, and wherein one or moreanti-infective coatings are provided on the housing.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a sensor disposed in fluid communicationwith at least one of the first and second tubes and operatively coupledto the controller, wherein the integrated controller is programmed toactivate the electromechanical motor to pump fluid when the sensordetects a fluid parameter in the peritoneal cavity higher or lower thana predetermined threshold.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein theimplantable pump and integrated controller are configured to be remotelyactivated.
 10. The system of claim 2, wherein the external controlmodule comprises a driveshaft and a magnet holding arm, the driveshafttransferring power to the magnet holding arm.
 11. The system of claim 2,wherein the external control module transfers data with the implantablepump.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable pump furthercomprises a battery.
 13. A method of removing fluid from a peritonealcavity, the method comprising: subcutaneously implanting a pump, a firsttube, and a second tube such that the first tube is coupled between theperitoneal cavity and an inlet of the pump and the second tube iscoupled between a gastro-intestinal tract and an outlet of the pump; andactivating the pump to pump fluid from the peritoneal cavity to thegastro-intestinal tract at predetermined intervals.
 14. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the pump further comprises an external control moduleconfigured to be periodically coupled to the pump to transfer energy tothe pump.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the predeterminedintervals are adjustable.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein thegastro-intestinal tract comprises a stomach, a small intestine, and alarge intestine, and wherein the second tube is coupled between theoutlet of the pump and the stomach, the small intestine, or the largeintestine, and wherein the activating comprises activating the pump topump fluid from the peritoneal cavity to the stomach, the smallintestine, or the large intestine at the predetermined intervals. 17.The method of claim 13, further comprising a sensor disposed in fluidcommunication with at least one of the first and second tubes, andwherein the activating comprises activating the pump to pump fluid fromthe peritoneal cavity to the gastro-intestinal tract at thepredetermined intervals responsive to the sensor detecting a fluidparameter in the peritoneal cavity higher or lower than a predeterminedthreshold.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein activating the pumpcomprises remotely activating the pump.
 19. The method of claim 13,wherein the pump further comprises an external control module configuredto be periodically coupled to the pump to transfer data therebetween.20. The method of claim 13, wherein the pump further comprises abattery.